Why Are U.S. Children Dying At An Alarming Rate?

A new study published in the January, 2018 edition of the journal Health Affairs compared the mortality rate of children in 19 wealthy, Western countries. Guess who finished last? If you guessed the country that spends the most money on health care then you guessed correctly.

The United States spends more money on health care than any other country on the face of the earth. In fact, we spend nearly 20% of our gross national product on health care—far greater when compared to any other Western country. The authors of the article comment, “The United States has poorer child health outcomes than other wealthy nations despite greater per capita spending on health care for children.

While child mortality progressively declined across all countries, mortality in the US has been higher than in peer nations since the 1980s. From 2001 to 2010 the risk of death in the US {when compared to other Western countries} was 76 percent greater for infants and 57 percent greater for children ages 1–19.”

Folks, if you want to measure the health of a country, one of the best indicators is the childhood mortality rate. Generally, the healthier the population is, the lower the childhood mortality rate. When you compare the U.S. childhood mortality rate to other Western countries, it is plain to see that our children are not doing well.